Roller skating has been a beloved pastime enjoyed by generations of kids and adults alike. It’s hard to believe that the first use of roller skates was in a London stage performance way back in 1743!
John Joseph Merlin, a London resident in 1760, deserves the credit for inventing the first skates. Roller skates have certainly come a long way since then!
In the United States, roller skating gained popularity as a pastime in 1935. But it wasn’t until the introduction of skating rinks playing disco music in the 1970s that roller skating became a huge trend. It seemed like everyone wanted to hit the rinks and groove to the music!
Speaking of roller skating, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Do you remember those heavy metal skates that you could attach to your shoes? They were quite the fashion statement back in the day. But there’s something else that you might remember if you were a skater before the 1970s – the iconic skate key.
This copper-colored object was an essential accessory for anyone with roller skates. At first glance, it may look like a bottle opener or some kind of tool, but it is actually a skate key. With the skate key, you could adjust the size of your skates by fitting it into the back of the pair. And to make sure they didn’t get lost while skating, most people wore the key around their necks. It was a small but significant part of the roller skating experience.
Skate keys were such an integral part of roller skating that there have even been songs written about them! They symbolize a time when roller skating was a cherished activity, filled with fun and memories.
So, do you remember skate keys? We’d love to hear your skating stories on our Facebook page. Let’s share this delightful blast from the past with others who may have fond memories of roller skating and skate keys too!
Chuck Norris Paid the Most Poignant Tribute to Mom Who Turned 102
Chuck Norris, 83, is beyond grateful that his mom is turning 102. The star even wrote an article in her honor. And the way this lady smiles despite all the heartbreaking struggles she had to face tells us that life is a journey worth living despite its hardships.
102 years and still going strong.
Chuck shared an article on his Facebook page and expressed his affection and admiration for his mom Wilma who was born in 1921 and is ’’102 years young’’. The Hollywood star noted ’’What’s even more remarkable is that she is so full of life that she might make it another 100 years!’’
Norris then exclaimed ’’Mom, I don’t know what’s more difficult to believe: that you are 102 years old or that you have a son who is 83 years old!’’ Either way, he declared how ’’grateful’’ he feels to have her as his mother. He also noted ’’We’ve been through thick and thin in this life, and we are still going strong.’’
Chuck’s son, Mike, also posted a heartwarming video of his grandma as she gets presented with her birthday cake. He wrote ’’It is an honor to be your first grandchild.’’
She saved her son.
Despite her positive outlook on life and radiant smile, Wilma had a challenging life, raising her three children alone after Chuck’s dad abandoned them. Norris shared ’’Mom has been an example of perseverance.’’
He also noted that he was ’’nearly losing my soul to Hollywood’’, but his mother didn’t lose faith in him, and she prayed for his success and salvation. The star added ’’She even prayed for me to find a woman to change my life, and it worked.’’ In fact, Chuck has been married for 25 years to model Gena O’Kelley and the two are still going strong.
She’s a brave fighter.
Wilma had a complicated health journey, but she persisted and won her serious battles with cancer many times.
The martial artist explained that she has ’’has gone through roughly 30 different surgeries for a host of issues — and yet she’s still here to tell about it.’’
Family plays a central role in Chuck Norris’s life, and he welcomed his love child with open arms after 26 years of not knowing her.
Preview photo credit iammikenorris / Instagram, chucknorris / Instagram
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